1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate to processing composite materials. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to processing composite materials using a chamber with diaphragms positioned on opposing sides of a layup mandrel.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various methods of creating composite parts from fiber-based composite materials may involve placing fibers over or on a forming block which is eventually cured. During placement of the fibers, gases may get trapped in between layers of fibers and gaps or voids may form that typically must be removed to improve the quality of the final part. The composite materials may undergo processing such as forming, shaping, consolidating, compacting, and debulking to remove any gases and voids. Often, a membrane or bag is used to press the materials against the forming block and the combination is cured in an autoclave to achieve optimal compaction. However, very large parts may be too big to fit into an autoclave. Furthermore, parts that include curvatures or corners may have wrinkles in the composite material along the curves and corners. Thus, parts not cured in an autoclave, particularly large parts, may have less than optimal compaction of the composite material in addition to wrinkles in certain areas.